Chipper Blasts Bomb on 40th Birthday Against Dodgers

Braves legend Chipper Jones celebrated his 40thbirthday in grand fashion with a solo home run to get the Braves going in the top of the fifth inning on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Dodgers Stadium.

The home run came off of Dodgers starting pitcher Aaron Harang with the Braves down 2-0 to the Dodgers at the time. The Braves would tie the game 2-2 later in the fifth. The game would end up going into the ninth inning tied at 3, after each team scored one more time. In the ninth, Braves left fielder Martin Prado drove in shortstop Tyler Pastornicky for the go ahead and eventual winning run with a triple over the heard of Dodgers center fielder and current National League MVP frontrunner Matt Kemp.

Jones’ birthday blast is the fifth homer for the veteran on his birthday in 13 games. The homer was also his 13^th as a visitor at Dodgers Stadium. Chipper’s five career dingers on his birthday tie him for the active lead with New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez and Colorado Rockies vet Todd Helton. Jones also homered on his 24^th birthday, twice on his 29^th birthday and on his 36^th birthday, according to the Miami Herald. He is now 21 for 49 on his day of birth.   

To see Chipper’s birthday blast click: HERE

Thanks to MLB.tv showing the Braves/Dodgers game as its free game of the day I was able to see Chipper Jones’ 40^th birthday. This game marked only the second Braves game I’ve seen so far this season on TV (I saw the Braves final game against the Astros in Houston earlier in the season). Big kudos to MLB.com and MLB.tv for choosing Jones’ 40^th birthday game as the free game of the day. I’m sure it put a lot of smiles on Braves fans like me, who are out of Braves territory and don’t get to see many of their games.

Chipper’s home run was his only hit of the game as he went 1-for-3 against Harang and was walked in the top of the eighth inning by Dodgers reliever Kenley Jansen. In the top of the 6^th inning, Jones had a likely RBI single taken away from him when his hit basically caught Harang, who was able to turn a 1-6-3 double play out of it.

The Braves are now 11-2 in Chipper's birthday games. According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s David O’Brien, Chipper became the fifth player to homer on his 40th birthday in Major League Baseball history on Tuesday night in L.A.

Despite playing in less than half as many games as many of his teammates, Jones is tied for the team lead in home runs with three. Catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Dan Uggla, first baseman Freddie Freeman and Chipper’s frequent replacement at third base Juan Francisco all have three bombs on the season, as well. Jones’ nine RBI on the season are tied with McCann and Uggla on the team, behind Freeman’s 15 and Prado’s 11. Jones is now hitting .276 on the season.

Chipper’s first home run at Dodgers Stadium came off of Carlos Perez on April 19, 1999. The only pitcher he’s rounded the bases off of more than once at Dodgers Stadium was Darren Dreifort, also in 1999.

Should Jones crack the Braves lineup in tomorrow night’s game it’ll be his last at Dodgers Stadium. Veteran pitcher Ted Lilly will take the mound for the Dodgers. Jones is 3-for-13 (.231) in his career against Lilly with no homers and three RBI.